Curbing overtourism with etiquette through nationwide quiz booths

Japan continues to grapple with the challenges of overtourism. As an attempt to address some of those challenges, four prefectures will use interactive quizzes to educate visitors on local etiquette and culture. The “2nd Simultaneous Travel Destination Quiz Meet” will take place on 25 October, at seven popular tourist sites in Yamagata, Tokyo, Kyoto and Hiroshima.

The event is organised by Touristship, a Kyoto-based non-profit organisation. It aims to foster a positive and educational approach to managing the impacts of tourism, such as crowding and cultural misunderstandings. At special booths set up in high-traffic areas, visitors can participate in short, multilingual quizzes about the history, culture and specific rules of the location.

This initiative moves away from restrictive signage and instead promotes the concept of “Touristship”, defined as “an attitude and behaviour of enjoying interaction while being considerate of and contributing to the travel destination.” The programme, which began in 2023, has already been held in over 15 regions and engaged approximately 24,000 people, with international tourists accounting for up to 90% of participants at some venues.

By holding the event simultaneously across multiple prefectures, organisers intend to address overtourism as a national, interconnected issue rather than an isolated local problem. The simultaneous nationwide event is designed to send a strong message to tourists that “Japan as a whole is tackling this issue,” while also creating a platform for municipalities and tourism bodies to share successful strategies and learn from one another.

The seven venues for the 2025 event are the Michi-no-Eki Iide Mezami no Sato in Yamagata; The Sumida Hokusai Museum and Senso-ji Temple in Tokyo; Nijo-jo Castle, Yasaka Shrine and Arashiyama Shoryuen in Kyoto; and the Miyajima Pier Front Plaza in Hiroshima.

Each participating location integrates the quiz into its broader sustainable tourism strategy. For example, Iide Town in Yamagata is working to ease congestion at its famous Shirakawa Lake submerged forest through night-time light displays. In Hiroshima, Hatsukaichi City, home to Miyajima island, which operates on the philosophy of “Shiho-yoshi” (four-way good), aiming to create a destination beneficial for tourists, the economy, the environment, and residents.